What are we building upon?

If you, as a Christian, don't reach out to the Spirit, but to the flesh, you are rather foolish than wise. This relates to the spiritual life in general and also to the coming of Jesus, for which we need to be prepared. Foolishness reigns in the flesh and relies upon it. The opposite would be humility and obedience. Foolishness is also relying on secular wisdom (by oneself or through someone whom you trust), on your own understanding, on your earthly heritage, on your wealth, influence, gifts and talents, relationships, maybe on the Church, the Sacraments, the humanistic good of man etc. But, are these the criteria of someone who believes in the undeserved forgiveness of sin, in the cross of Calvary and the crucified Son of God – and this alone by the grace of God? It is simply negligent and contra-productive to, as a Christian, follow Jesus in a carnal manner and rely on something other than that which is written in the Bible or proclaimed by the Apostles. This was what the Apostle Paul accused the Galatians of. Some were so zealous that they even went so far as to demand the circumcision by the law in addition to the Gospel for the forgiveness of sin.

This angered Paul, as we read in Galatians 5:11-12 “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off which trouble you.” Drastic words, which were however appropriate for the intolerable situation. It involved nothing less than eternal salvation in the Son of God. When we think about it carefully, we still find this erroneous practices and thinking today in the Christendom. What do we rely on? On formal religiosity, on our “good core”, or that God doesn't take it so seriously and there are many ways to heaven? If this is our chain of thought, then we have a problem and are just as foolish and blind as some of the heretics in the Churches of Galatia. It is the power of God which transforms a dead, heart of stone into a living heart which, in humility invests in faith and matures in all Biblical practices. It is about a life of faith, truth, watchfulness and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not about pragmatism, but about relationship.

Jörg Bauer